The Internet, for the most part, is a fantastic resource that's full of useful information and entertainment. Never before have we had access to such a wealth of data and media and it's incredible to think that all of that sits in our pocket throughout the day.

But making the most of the web means also understanding that it's not perfect, and while it certainly is an amazing tool, not every website is going to be a treasure trove of great information. In fact it's even fair to go as far as to say that there's a whole lot of rubbish across the net and some of it can even be dangerous if you end up falling for a scam and spending lots of money on a useless e-book/sending a stranger your PayPal details. Here we will look at how to spot a spam online whether it's on a website or in your Email. Read on to make sure the bad guys don't get to win.

Spelling

One of the surest signs that what you're looking at isn't high quality is bad spelling. Sure, even the most professional website will occasionally let a typo slip through the net, but if the entire site is badly spelled and edited, then you're probably looking at something that isn't quite kosher. Why is that? Well a) a legitimate company would have someone edit their content to ensure this didn't happen, and b) a lot of hackers are foreign and speak English as a second language.

They Ask for Your Details

If ever you get an e-mail asking you to send your details - even if it's from PayPal - then ignore it. The same goes for e-mails that ask you to click a link to sign in to the site. Most companies like PayPal that deal with sensitive information operate on the policy that they'll never ask for your details - so if they are, then it probably isn't them…

It Sounds too Good to be True

Tempted to buy that $100 e-book that promises to build you 10KG of muscle? Or by that e-mail that's offering to transfer millions of dollars into your bank account? Well we all would be, except things like that just don't tend to happen in the real world. In general this is a good rule to live by: if something seems too good to be true, then apply some cynicism…

It's Covered in Popups

Someone who's willing to break the law in order to get you to spend money with them is unlikely to care particularly whether their site looks nice or not. They're probably willing to do pretty much anything in fact to earn some money, and so chances are that their site will be covered in ads. Pay attention to the quality and quantity of those ads and ask yourself if that's the sort of thing a reputable company would do…

Author Bio:

Today’s featured writer, Jason Haddad, works as a tester for wellresearchedreviews.com. Being an ardent writer, he often shares his views and opinions on the issues related to information security via his articles.